1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component assembly system for aligning a plurality of components on the circumference of a circle having its center on an axis and assembling them together.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-348123 discloses an assembly system that melt-bonds two different resin tubes by pushing out a plurality of segmented members in the radial direction. The assembly system melt-bonds resin tubes having different ratios of tube wall thickness to tube diameter by forcibly moving, toward a platform, a truncated cone shaped member placed on the inside. Members formed by dividing a cylindrical body into three segments in a circumferential direction and placed on the outside are moved concurrently in radially outward directions via slide channels formed on the platform. The outer peripheries of the three segmented members are pressed against the inner periphery of the above-mentioned resin tube to position the resin tube. The surfaces of the adjoining resin tubes in contact with each other are heated to melt-bond the tubes together, thereby unifying them.
Components, such as, for example only, coiled pipes, used as heat exchangers achieve their function by being assembled together. The form of such coiled pipes is rather complicated when considering the steps necessary for assembly as well as the heat exchange efficiency of such a heat exchanger. When assembling a large number of the coiled pipes into a single unit in a state in which they are aligned in a circumferential direction, precisely assembling of the pipes is difficult unless the pipes are carefully moved inward in the radial direction toward the central axis.
Currently, a number of coiled pipes required for assembly are aligned on an adhesive tape. The adhesive tape is then manipulated into an approximately circular form so that adjoining pipes properly engage each other to form a circle. With the above-described method, it is difficult to achieve a perfect circle when a plurality of coiled pipes are assembled together, which is a reason that unwanted variations in the size of the circular formation occur easily. When assembling the above-mentioned pipes so their coiled sections mesh with each other, each pipe moves in a different direction from the other pipes leading to the extremities of each pipe being misaligned relative to the other pipes when assembled together.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the above-described drawbacks of the related art.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a component assembly system that precisely aligns and assembles a plurality of components together in the circumferential direction.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the invention provides a component assembly system for aligning a plurality of components along the circumference of a circle having its center on an axis and assembling the components together. The system includes a base member having a plurality of guides extending in a radial manner from the axis. A plurality of slide members are slidably supported on the guides of the base member and have a first contact-receiving surface facing the axis. Support members support the components on the slide members in a detachable manner. A first positioning member is placed inside the group of slide members and contains a first contact surface on an outer periphery thereof with a center on the axis. The group of slide members supporting the components are moved inward in the radial direction along the guides of the base member. The first contact-receiving surfaces of the slide members contact the first contact surface of the first positioning member so the components supported on the respective slide members are assembled together.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, since the group of slide members supporting the components are moved inward in the radial direction along the guides of the base member, components with complicated shapes can reliably be assembled by moving the components toward the axis along correct routes. Moreover, since the first contact-receiving surfaces of the slide members make contact with the first contact surface of the first positioning member, the group of slide members are correctly positioned along the circumference of a circle, thereby enhancing the precision with which the components are assembled.
Furthermore, the component assembly system may also include a second positioning member that can be fitted around the outside of the group of slide members whose first contact-receiving surfaces are in contact with the first contact surface of the first positioning member. The second positioning member has, on an inner periphery, a circular second contact surface having a center on the axis. The second contact surface of the second positioning member contacts the second contact-receiving surfaces formed on the slide members so as to face away from the axis.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, since the first contact-receiving surfaces of the slide members make contact with the first contact surface of the first positioning member and, subsequently, the second contact surface of the second positioning member makes contact with the second contact-receiving surfaces of the slide members by fitting the second positioning member around the outside of the group of slide members, positioning is more precisely executed by interposing the group of slide members between the first and second positioning members, thereby enhancing the precision with which the components are assembled together.
Furthermore, the component assembly system may also provide the slide members with a support part for supporting one end of the corresponding component and a positioning part for positioning the component in the axial direction. Also, the other end of the component is supported by the support member, which is detachable from the slide member.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, the attitude of the component is stabilized by supporting the two ends thereof. Additionally, the assembled components are easily be removed merely by separating the support member from the slide member. Moreover, since the positioning parts are provided on the slide members, the components are positioned in the axial direction to enhance the precision of assembly.
These and other objects of the invention will be described in or be apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments.